“I am proud to see how this Assembly, little by little, but with constancy, is tackling more and more thoroughly the causes and consequences of the scourge of gender violence”, welcomed MEP Diana Riba (Greens/EFA, Spain) on the eve of the adoption by the European Parliament of an own-initiative report on the consequences of domestic violence for women and children.
The report - approved on Wednesday 6 October by 510 votes in favour, 31 against and 141 abstentions - addresses the issue of custody rights for children who are victims of violence (see EUROPE 12663/25).
In particular, MEPs call for the protection of women and children from violence to take precedence over other criteria when custody rights are established.
“In too many cases, domestic violence is still neglected and court decisions on shared custody can turn into a death sentence for women and children”, recalled co-rapporteur Luisa Regimenti (ID, Italy), regretting that criminal proceedings arising from a complaint of domestic violence and civil proceedings on separation and custody “are often treated separately”.
In its report, Parliament also calls for children who witness gender-based violence to be recognised as victims, to be heard, and for their hearings to take place in an appropriate environment, under the guidance of trained professionals.
“Strike at the root cause”
Many other recommendations are made: helping victims to achieve financial independence, access to specific housing, health services, transport, counselling, legal support, etc.
But like the other co-rapporteur, Elena Kountoura (The Left, Greece), MEPs went even further, calling on European and national institutions to “strike at the root cause” and put an end to “everything that maintains and reproduces” gender violence.
In particular by ratifying and implementing the Istanbul Convention (see other news).
Several MEPs also called for a binding European initiative on the prevention and treatment of gender violence.
Such a proposal is expected to be presented by the Commission in early December. “It will step up victims’ rights, in particular on compensation, prevention and protection for victims of domestic violence, including children victims and witnesses of such violence”, Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli promised in plenary.
In their report, MEPs also reiterate their support for adding gender violence to the list of recognised crime areas at EU level (see EUROPE 12793/10). According to the list of items on the agenda of the next Commission meetings published earlier this week, an initiative to this effect is also expected to be presented in early December.
To consult Parliament’s report: https://bit.ly/3DkgUQP (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)